doodle by andre: hostile takeover just ahead

JUST AS I FEARED: They’re all out there–from ticks to tomato hornworms-to-be–partying away and fattening up for the kill. Of my garden-to-be, that is. Thanks, Andre Jordan, for reminding me of the shape of things to come (<–shudders at the thought).

How timely, I have been saying to everyone lately, yes it has been such a nice winter but what will this summer be like with the bugs that enjoyed this winter too. Great minds think alike, I just can not illustrate it like Andre.

I’m with Colleen! :( The squash vine borers were horrible last year, can’t imagine what they will be like this year!!! I did just read that planting blue Hubbard squash attracts them like crazy and seems to keep them somewhat off the zukes and butternuts. Hmmmm…maybe worth a try??

Boy do I love this! I tried gardening in Oklahoma and it was all the critters I ran into within about 30 minutes that put me off. Too scary! Gardening in Utah was brilliant – and the dog’s fleas were easily controlled – the dry climate didn’t support a lot of the crawlies that Oklahoma’s climate did. Here in Britain there don’t seem to be that many bugs, though my gardening certainly has introduced me to slugs, snails and white cabbage butterflies. I don’t mind woodlice (we called them rolly-polles in Oklahoma) and I’ve seen no cockroaches or water bugs since coming here, thankfully. The bushes and bulbs around here are quite confused by the mild weather we had, though it’s been bitter the last few days. Great doodle!

As NICE as this Winter has been, I am SOO sick of all the people saying they “Like it this way”. Where are the Old Fashioned Winters, the kind I remember in the 1960’s, when temperatures fell to -28 degrees?? The way they are SUPPOSED to be in our zone 5-4 region of upstate New York, USA. With all this warm weather, there is no way the harmful insects, that have migrated north to our region will be killed off. A year or so ago, I read bugs from Georgia were migrating North, because the weather did not kill them, and when, and if they get here, they will damage our northern trees. We could also use a week or so of -20 degrees to hopefully kill off deer ticks, that are spreading lime disease.

It’s been a while since making a comment…I’ve been busy working on my own Blog. You know, nothing gets done in a day, Be it Rome, the Garden, or Writing and coming up with an Illustration for a post ;-}

Margaret,
It was so nice of you to came to my site and take a look. And to get TWO comments from You…I feel Honored ;-} Even if a person does not read any of the articles, they can see my drawings, collages and photos. Kind of like an art portfolio.

Holy smokes. Just yesterday, I was watching a bunch of no-see–ums flying around my yard when the horrible thought dawned on me. We had almost had the Japanese Beetles under control (my husband and I go out at night with flashlights in our teeth picking them off of EVERYthing!) but I fear we are in for the worst. Sigh.

Oh well, we have to remember that life runs in cycles and not are all perfect! Remember how last year’s snow and milder temps brought us perhaps the most abundant blooms ever? We, as gardeners, are a crafty lot, and will figure out how to give those bugs a run for their money I am sure (just no pesticides please).

RE: buggy curcurbits…
Last summer I grew gourd vines, fully expecting to be removing the yellow and black spotted and striped cucumber beetles nightly. I carry a small bucket of frothy, soapy water into which the bugs are dropped. But in 2011, I had NONE. This was a first! And a sharp contrast to 2010. I did not see squash vine borers either.

The main difference was an errant seedling of self sown Sweet Annie Artemisia, an annual, placing itself smack in the center of the 3 gourd vines. It flourished to a height of 2 feet. I am wondering if this was enough of an unpleasant odor (or flavor conducted through the soil ?) to discourage the normal onslaught of curcurbit pests?

I still can’t get over it. This summer I am going to search for a Sweet Annie seedling and place it near my cucumbers which I will grow in 2012 for the first time in many seasons. I gave up because of so many bug problems in the past.

I also saw airborne bugs hatching out early on those freakishly warm days, some in December and some in January, including house flies! No ticks on the dog yet, but she is protected. The only ticks I found last year were 2 walking across my husband, inside the house! Zone 6, southeastern PA.

Margaret, do you have troubles with the Cicada Killer Wasps in your garden? I had a terrible time last summer with these enormous tunneling pests. They look like a menacing machine and their ability to displace subsoil to ground level rivals that of a steam shovel. I had to trap and kill them using big glass jars to protect my crops from root disturbance, not for the faint-hearted. This summer I will start earlier to disrupt their exponential reproduction. It’s a July onslaught, greater numbers every year for the last 4 summers. I shudder just thinking about it.

Hi, Beverly. I don’t know if I have those wasps. I have read they are solitary, and the only ground-dwelling wasps I have had here lately that I cannot identify are more social in nature, with multiple individuals in a single hole. I must read up and learn more!

I too was just saying to someone yesterday that the bugs will be really bad this year. Last year I did battle with the Japanese Beetles, the tobacco hornworms and the giant miniature mosquito hatch in the middle of August. I could pick off all but the dreaded mosquitoes. We had to buy a full set of mosquito gear in order to go into the garden. I don’t relish that again. We must hope for the best. :}

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Quotes

The garden is a metaphor for having a place to develop an ethical way to understand life
and to make a life that is ethical.

—Dr. Alan Kapuler, founder, Peace Seeds

Welcome! I’m Margaret Roach, a leading garden writer for 25 years—at ‘Martha Stewart Living,’ ‘Newsday,’ and in three books. I host a public-radio podcast; I also lecture, plus hold tours at my 2.3-acre Hudson Valley (NY) Zone 5B garden, and always say no to chemicals and yes to great plants.